The holiday season is about to kick into high gear—a two-month hurricane of poor nutrition. As a fitness leader, you have the opportunity to guide your clients to a new perspective and, as a result, new and improved choices. And when they do overindulge, learn how to help clients take the focus off of the bad behavior and instead examine what led them to make bad choices in the first place.

Recovery from a tough workout is all about getting the right combination of rest and movement to circulate blood, but not so much movement that you are introducing a new challenge to the body. Here are four creative and effective ways to do this.

Virtual technology is here to stay, so if our goal as teachers, parents and health mentors is to get kids excited about exercise again, we need to acknowledge the competition and step up our game. Here are three ways we can start making exercise “cool” again to get kids off the couch and enjoying physical activity as a lifestyle.

Until we develop the ability to travel back in time, we have to accept the fact that we can't stop the aging process. The good news is that a healthy lifestyle can be the proverbial fountain of youth and help you to slow down, and in some cases, reverse the effects of aging. Here are some general considerations for exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices for each decade of the adult lifespan.

Start your morning off right with this time-efficient and thoughtfully designed at-home yoga routine. With a combination of invigorating breathing techniques and dynamic variations of postures, this sequence is designed to enhance stability and mobility, heighten awareness and prepare you for whatever the day may throw at you.

There are a multitude of conditions that can cause hip pain, from trochanteric bursitis to osteoarthritis. The great news is that movement is the panacea for many of these conditions. Learn about the three most common causes of hip pain, as well as three effective fixes that will help get your clients back to their preferred activity levels.

The second leading cause of death in the U.S.—cancer— is somewhat of a mystery. It’s not always clear why one individual gets cancer while another does not. This makes many people feel like they have no control. Quite the opposite is true.

Do you feel like you don’t have the self-discipline or willpower to accomplish your goals? Those are just buzzwords, argues ACE pro Brett Klika, who offers three powerful ways to motivate yourself to start living extraordinary right now.

While nutrition is vital to weight loss and exercise performance, it is more effective to initially focus on helping your client make positive behavior changes before moving on to the “nuts and bolts” of nutrition. As a health and fitness professional, your role is to create an environment for effective and positive change. Here are five ways you can create that type of environment and help your clients establish positive nutrition habits.;

If you’re an endurance athlete looking to improve your race performance, low-intensity workouts—exercises that keep you at a relatively low heart rate for a prolonged period of time—are the key to building your endurance. Learn about the 80/20 rule and why running more slowly can ultimately help you run faster.

To effectively combat stress, we must activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which is known as the relaxation response. The prime goal of this response is to trigger the “rest and digest” response and bring the body back to homeostasis following fight-or-flight. Learn how to reduce stress with these six simple breathing exercises.

When used properly, fitness technology offers the opportunity to make a real disruptive change to those we have the honor to serve—our clients and communities. Fitness technology expert Ted Vickey explains some of the biggest myths and misconceptions many health and fitness professionals have regarding using fitness technology with their clients.

When it comes to losing weight, lapses and relapses are extremely common, and can be deeply troubling for clients. Our goal as health and fitness professionals is to help guide clients through the frustration of relapse and into a renewed commitment to their healthy eating and activity behaviors. Here are four steps to guide you through that process.

More than ever, Americans are more concerned about genetically modified ingredients (GMOs) and organic-based foods, which is causing many industries to change how they do business. Here are some examples of how Americans have become more health conscious and are influencing the future health of their fellow citizens.

Physical activity plays an important role in brain growth and development, yet children aren’t receiving nearly enough physical activity in schools. By providing children with opportunities to move more, we’re playing a role in improving their physical fitness AND their cognitive performance.

You have more control over your physical health and well-being than you may realize. Learn how exercise can positively impact obesity, even if the tendency toward overweight and obesity runs in your family.

Empathy, which is an evidenced-based skill, is incredibly valuable to health and fitness professionals in that it can help improve client adherence. Learn why mastering the skill of empathy is an essential key to reaching your clients affected by overweight and obesity.

New research suggests that being inactive may be even more hazardous to your health than previously believed—in fact, it may be twice as deadly as obesity. Learn about the new study and how much activity is needed to help counteract the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

If you need yet another reason to get motivated to step up your nutrition and fitness, add amazing, glowing, healthy skin to the list. The Nutrition Twins explain the types of exercise and specific foods you should choose to improve the health and appearance of your skin.

You know stress is bad for you, but do you know exactly how bad? It’s much worse than you think. Dr. Michael Mantell describes the high cost of stress-inducing thinking on both the brain and the body, and explains why halting these thoughts in their tracks is essential to both your health and your waistline

Even at the start of a New Year, when motivation to lose weight is at its peak, helping your clients stick to their programs can be challenging. Here are some great tools and tactics you can use to help your clients reach their goals and create meaningful change that will last a lifetime.

We’re fast approaching that time of year when all resolve and willpower seem to go out the window. Learn how to motivate your clients to stay on track by helping them make SMARTER health and fitness goals that give them the greatest chances for success.

Scientists have developed a test to determine how individuals are genetically programmed to respond to exercise, but knowing the answer could be a two-edged sword. Learn why this DNA test may be useful or harmful, depending on the expectations of the individual, and how fitness professionals can help clients use this information to their best advantage.

Only about 3% of people set goals for themselves and follow them through to the end. Don’t underestimate the value of goal-setting – for yourself and your clients. Determine what your clients want to achieve, have them write it down and help them take steps to turn it into reality.

Why would your clients settle for a Model-T when they could have a new Corvette? Don’t use the old model of personal training; be a coach. Explore how going beyond biomechanics and exercise program design can help your clients achieve more, and build your business in the process.

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